Information from the Seattle Department of Transportation

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced it is receiving nearly $15 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The grants will help revive three bridges: S Spokane Street Viaduct, Jose Rizal Bridge, and 15th Ave NW and Leary Way NW Bridge. Thanks to the leadership of our federal delegation and significant support from local officials and advocates that created the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funds are available to improve the condition of our bridges as well as the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges. These are the first grants SDOT has received from the program.

Funding for these bridges come from the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Improvement Program, which is funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and then passed to the WSDOT's Local Bridge Program. Overall, SDOT has received over $150 million in federal funding for essential city projects under the Biden Administration.

The average age of bridges in Seattle is nearly 60 years old, with some bridges built over a century ago. While SDOT already prioritizes rehabilitating and preserving city bridges, these federal grants are a significant help in maintaining our aging infrastructure. 

In addition to inspections and proactive maintenance, SDOT thinks of new and innovative ways to better preserve our bridges so they can operate further into the future. Examples include spraying down city bridges to cool them to reduce the risk that they will get stuck on extremely hot days and taking steps to better prepare our bridges for future earthquakes through SDOT's bridge seismic retrofit program.  

Below are the preventative maintenance projects for each bridge selected and the amount of federal funding received:

• S Spokane Street Viaduct (connects the West Seattle Bridge to I-5 and runs above S Spokane St in the SoDo neighborhood) - $5 million – repairs to the existing deck 
• Jose Rizal Bridge North segment (12th Ave S over S Dearborn Street and I-90) - $5 million – remove existing lead paint and repaint the bridge 
• 15th Ave NW and Leary Way NW Bridge in Ballard - $4.5 million – earthquake safety upgrades (*note: this is adjacent to the Ballard Bridge. The 15th Avenue NW and Leary Way NW Bridge is the bridge that vehicles continue onto.)

SDOT owns 125 bridges and nearly 1,500 roadway structures such as retaining walls, stairways, and underground support walls. These structures require ongoing maintenance, inspections, monitoring, and preservation to remain safe and stable. SDOT is committed to continuing the comprehensive and proactive asset preservation program that maximizes the life of our critical infrastructure so we can count on them to remain in good shape for a long time.